title: Gait characteristics of persons with incomplete spinal cord injury in shallow water.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the kinematic gait characteristics of individuals with incomplete chronic spinal cord injury in a water environment and to compare these characteristics with those of healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen adults divided into 2 groups: individuals (n = 9) with incomplete chronic spinal cord injury (> 1 year), American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) C or D; and a second group (n = 10) of healthy young adults. The groups were paired up according to body mass and height.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants walked at a self-selected speed in a heated pool with water at the level of the xiphoid process. Participants with spinal cord injury were allowed to hold the researcher's hands. The body segment and joint angle coordinates in the sagittal plane were retrieved with SIMI Motion software. Temporal-spatial variables and joint ranges of motion were compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Duration of stance phase, stride length and speed differed significantly (p < 0.05) between groups. The ranges of joint motion were not significantly different (p > 0.05), and the joint angle patterns were qualitatively similar between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The physical properties of water provided the required time for reorganization of gait phases and allowed all individuals with spinal cord injury to walk in the water environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Centro de Reabilitação Ana Carolina Moura Xavier, 80035-090 Curitiba, Brazil. dielise@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dielise D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Iucksch
authors.forename: Vera L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Israel
authors.forename: Danieli I R
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Ribas
authors.forename: Elisangela F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Manffra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D014867:Water; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014867:Water